It is officially Spring in the Willamette Valley, even though it might not feel like it yet.  Like most of us in this part of the state, now is the time of year where we emerge from the darkness of winter and ease back outside. Lucky for us, West Salem boasts plenty of parks to visit when those sunny days make their appearance. Or perhaps you are the parkgoer bundled up in rain gear and boots. Whichever adventure you choose, there’s a park to match it.  Below is a list of whe

The Spring show at River Gallery is in full swing.  For the rest of April, visitors to the gallery in downtown Independence can enjoy Focus Artist Becki Hesedahl’s watercolor landscape paintings. The project is called “Spirit of The Forest”   and looks to examine the landscape of nature in a close-up view.  “My goal as an artist is to show the beauty in ordinary subjects – to engage the senses while conveying a mood,” Hesedahl said.  In March, the gallery also featured a wind

The Edgewater Thursday Farmer’s Market is back for the summer season.  Running seasonally from May through September, 10:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. every Thursday, the market features local vendors, community engagement initiatives, activities centered around children, and aims to attract everyone –  people on lunch breaks and families and youths enjoying their summer holiday.  There will be homemade crafts such as soaps, jewelry, and pottery for sale. Bread and flower bouquets. Fr

The Board of Commissioners held a public hearing considering a levy for future Polk County Fairgrounds operations. Bazaars, shows, 4-H club, the fair, and more could disappear from Polk County unless funding is found for the fairgrounds. The Polk County Board of Commissioners met Wednesday, February 11, for their regular meeting during which they held a public hearing considering an advisory question about a levy for the fairgrounds, and to hear other ideas on how to keep the

Enlighten Healing Collective  invites participants to enjoy a peaceful and creative evening with local artist Elisa Mack for the Winter Zen Paint with Watercolor workshop March 27.    Held at the Collective’s West Salem location, the March theme, “Emerging from Winter,” offers an opportunity to slow down, reflect, and reconnect with your creativity in a welcoming, relaxed environment.    When: Thursday, March 27 — 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. Where: Enlighten Healing Collective, 13

Pentacle Theatre is thrilled to announce open auditions for " The Lost Virginity Tour," directed by Karen  McCarty. Auditions are on Saturday, February 21st at Pentacle Theatre's downtown office.  When: Saturday, February 21st - starting promptly at 1:00p.m.  Where: P entacle Theatre - Downtown Office  (197 Liberty St. SE) in downtown Salem.  The story:  Four women living in an Arizona retirement community, Happy Trails Senior Resort Living, meet weekly for  their Happy Trail

Every year since 2017, Salem Reads: One Book, One Community, a program through the Salem Public Library, has created a city-wide book club. Throughout the month of February, the library and other partners will host discussions and events, centered around the themes of this year’s book: Remarkably Bright Creatures , a novel by Shelby Van Pelt.  This year, for the first time since 2020, the author will be making an in-person appearance in Salem. Van Pelt will be present for two

Winter greetings! It is that time of year that some put their golf clubs away, while others keep them active. Winter is a good time to reflect on your golf process and evaluate what worked well and what you want to work on for next year.  I recently took a position with Corban University as an Assistant Golf coach, focusing on golf instruction. Interacting with college students has been a great learning experience, and reinforces what I already know – but also reveals new thi

As I was standing at my kitchen sink, hand-washing and drying my dishes, I was thinking about my topic for this article. Kaity and I agreed that perhaps changes I have seen in my 84 years might be of interest or amusement to some of you West Salem residents. A sink full of soapy dishwater is one of those changes. I remember, as a teen, standing at the sink washing the dinner dishes with my brother beside me drying. Wonder of all wonders, we had a hand-held sprayer to do the r

Among the racks of donated clothes at Helping Hands Resources, Laura Crofoot has tears in her eyes.  She’s talking about how the organization, dedicated to providing clothing, housewares, and other supplies to unhoused people, low-income families, and anyone else in need, tries to never turn people away empty handed.  She’s seen volunteers take the jacket off their back to make sure a client can stay warm. “Every day, someone says, ‘I love you,’” Crofoot said.  Helping Hands

Pentacle Theatre is pleased to announce the continued offering of its live captioning services through an ongoing partnership with Cue Captions, a locally founded company dedicated to  making live theater accessible to Deaf and Hard-of-Hearing audiences. This partnership reflects Pentacle Theatre’s commitment to ensuring that all members of the community can experience the magic of live performance without barriers. Cue Captions was founded by Ben Cavaletto, a professional in

In the world of content creation, Matty Tingles is a household name.  Known primarily for his YouTube Channel filming ASMR (Autonomous Sensory Meridian Response) videos, Matty, whose last name isn’t actually Tingles, but Almendinger, jumped on the podcast scene three years ago.  “I had all the equipment for it, and I was like, let’s just try it,” Matty said. “It’s been really fun to see it grow and see it take on its own life, separate from all of my other channels.” Already

As of November, the West Salem Library has doubled its opening hours, from 10 to 21 hours per week. The West Salem branch will now be open on Mondays and Fridays from 10 a.m.-5 p.m. and on Wednesdays from 12 p.m.-7 p.m.  The increase in hours comes after the passage of the Salem Parks and Library Services Tax Measure in May, which brings new funding to the library system and other city programs for the next five years. Hours at the main library in downtown Salem have also inc

This month, history came alive at Brunk Farmstead.  A guided tour over the weekend of December 6, led by volunteers clad in period costumes and armed with a wealth of knowledge about the century farm, transported participants back to the eighteen-hundreds, when the area was just getting on its feet as an established county. The Brunk House, owned by the Polk County Historical Society and located just off the Salem-Dallas Highway, was built for original owners Harrison and Emi

Pentacle Theatre is thrilled to announce that its beloved Acting Workshop with Jo Dodge, a transformative experience led by one of the region's most respected theater artists, is returning this spring. Since founding the class in 1981, Jo Dodge has trained and inspired over 2,000 students, leaving an indelible mark on our community's creative spirit and stagecraft. Jo Dodge's class is more than an acting workshop - it's a journey. For over four decades, Jo has helped students

When Mike Light noticed there weren't any comics in The West Side’s November edition, he sent out an email to the publication. “I said, ‘hey, wanna see some of my work?’” Light said. “And the editor said, ‘sure, send over what you’ve got.’” The cold call – or email, rather – worked. His cartoons will now be featured in the paper’s future editions. “I’m excited about it,” he said.  No stranger to submitting to various publications, his work has been featured in the Clackamas R